Privacy Scope

This statement applies to all users who access The Northern Network Web Site.

General

The Northern Network Web Site makes some use of data that only indirectly identifies users. We take great care with practices that affect personal privacy. As a general rule, we do not collect or record data that directly identifies users.

Data Collection

Data that indirectly identifies users is gathered during interactions with the The Northern Network Web Site in the following circumstances:

1. Computer Information

It is necessary that your web browser provides your machine's network address, so the web server can address its replies back to the correct machine. In addition, the browser type and operating system information may be recorded.

2. Navigation and Click-Stream Data

Browsing any web site generates a trail of pages visited, the amount of data transferred and the time of access. This information is recorded against the network address supplied by your web browser.

3. Electronic Mail

It is a necessary part of electronic mail that a sender and receiver address is supplied. These are recorded as well as a message identifier, amount of data and the time. The address you supply as sender is only a pseudonym and may possibly bear no relation to your real name, so is not considered as directly identifying you.

Forms

If you use forms on the site to provide information, register interest, or purchase items, the information you provide is not retained on the public web server and will not be used for purposes other than that for which it was provided.

We will only record your e-mail address if you send us a message. It will only be used for the purpose for which it was provided and will not be added to a mailing list unless that is the purpose of the message. We will not use your e-mail address for any other purpose, and will not disclose it without your consent.

Data Storage, Retention, Use and Disclosure

The data referred to above is generated by the systems you are accessing, and stored in system logs. These logs are preserved and archived for possible future use.

The data is used by The Northern Network Web Site software, and by our support staff, only for:

web site and systems administration, including monitoring as a security measure,

customisation of the web site to meet your needs,

evaluation, research and development.

The data collected will not be disclosed to a third party except where it is legally required, such as in the investigation of a criminal offence, and in compliance with a search warrant or subpoena.

Cookies

A cookie is a very small text file placed onto your computer when you visit a Web site. A cookie can be 'persistent' (meaning that it is written to a permanent file on your hard disk) or 'session-only' (in which case the cookie is deleted at the end of your browsing session).

Cookies are not generally used on the our site. The exception to this is the search facility, which has been built to use only temporary 'session ID' cookies. One cookie is created at the beginning of the user's search session and discarded at its conclusion. The cookie is not used to collect or store any information about the user, only to allocate a temporary identifier to the search session.

Without such a session ID, the user would lose the entire search context each time a new web page is visited during a search session e.g. by viewing a document retrieved by a search. If cookies are disabled, the search program could not provide more than a very basic functionality - far less than is expected by our users.

Feedback

We seek feedback from our users in order to improve the service offered by the site. Answering feedback questions is voluntary and does not in any way affect your access to this website. The Northern Netwrok records the information requested on the online forms in a database. The information will only be used for the purpose for which it was requested and will not be distributed further, or disclosed, without your consent.

Links to other sites

This site contains links to other sites. The Northern Network is not responsible for the privacy practice or the content of such web sites.